Xavier Mercado is a photographer, spaceflight enthusiast, and aviation enthusiast from Boston, MA.
He began his photography journey in April 2022 with the sole purpose of aviation photography after the discovery of an entire community that is based off of plane photos.
He wanted to become a planespotter.
Xavier at the 2024 Vero Beach Airshow
F-18 Rhino Demo during the Great State of Maine Airshow
The beauty of aviation is often overlooked.
Xavier has made it his mission to attempt to capture and showcase these engineering marvels from his perspective.
He created Not_TheCaptain102 Aviation Photography to do just that, which has been at the forefront of his portfolio, combining the love for aviation with art.
Quickly on the rise in the planespotting community, Xavier grew a following online for his photos as his style and experience developed.
A NEW PERSPECTIVE
In March 2025, Xavier was introduced to aerial spotting over his home airport, Boston Logan, accompanied by fellow spotter and good friend Alex (@lexviation)
This brought new, breathtaking shots of aircraft from the sky, adding to Xavier's aviation portfolio.
Huge Thanks to Alex and Boston Helicopters for making this possible!
Xavier in a helicopter over KBOS
MEDIA
Since he started, Xavier has been featured by mumerous Airlines and Airports across the world. Some notable ones include Korean Air, Jetblue, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Air France.
Xavier hopes to get published on physical prints someday.
Xavier is known for his range of editing styles.
Xavier's Photo Recovery process allows photos to be saved from the trash bin. By utilizing the powers of masking and selective editing, Xavier's edits show that images have potential.
Alongside recoveries, Xavier's photos are usually known for their vibrant colors and punchy contrast- most of the time accompanied by gradients.
Alongside aviation photography, Xavier developed his skills in the other genres of photography, including landscapes, street, and sports.
Xavier currently shoots with the following gear:
Canon R7
Canon RF 16mm f/2.8
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8
Sigma EF 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Xavier Spotting at Boston's Constitution Beach (Photo Credit: Andrew Dukat)